The Learning Hub
Do you remember the Milton Bradley/Hasbro game “Operation” where the players pretended to be surgeons removing bones and organs from a patient with a set of metal tweezers? If you hit the sides of the space around “the funny bone,” for example, there would be a loud buzzing, the patient’s nose would flash red, and you would lose your turn. It was a great test of eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. There were franchised versions (everything from Disney to Rick and Morty) and also made into a mobile-only video game.
That, my game-loving friends, is the earliest example of a commonly understood “simulation” that I could think of. Not that it taught us how to be a surgeon – far from it! It was an interactive imitation of a real-life scenario.
At the outset, I want to say that learning simulations are certainly NOT video games. However, game-based elements are built into them to enhance the learner experience. A properly constructed, strategically designed learning simulation is a powerful tool that builds skills, increases knowledge retention, reduces learner performance anxiety, and improves your measurable training outcomes.
Let’s talk about how learning simulations have become crucial components of many companies’ online training programs. Are you looking for an effective, engaging way to teach your employees complex tasks in a scenario with variable conditions and outcomes? Simulation-based learning can help your learners gain the skills they need while offering an immersive experience that’s more interactive than regular eLearning activities.
In our article, we’ll explore:
Simulation-based learning is an effective and engaging approach to training that uses simulated environments, activities, and scenarios to help users learn and apply their knowledge and build their skills. Why has this become so popular in corporate training? By centrally developing and deploying simulations, companies can standardize their processes, increase learner engagement, and provide learners with practical examples of how concepts are used in the workplace.
Simulations come in various forms – from conversational interactions with an onscreen avatar in a customer service scenario to a replica airplane cockpit where you fly a plane and learn how to stick the landing. The medical field has been a strong advocate and integrator of simulation-based learning. Undoubtedly, the rise of Generative AI technologies will take future training simulations to entirely new levels.
Simulation-based learning is especially beneficial for industries specifically working with complex technologies, processes, or tools because it allows training to effectively and consistently simulate real-life scenarios without risking lives or expensive resources.
Here are some examples:
By using simulations to explain complicated concepts, learners gain valuable insight into what they’re being taught and why; it’s like having a real-life “teacher” ready to show you exactly what’s needed without the fear of failure. Clearly, simulation-based learning provides numerous benefits across many industries, and its continued growth is evidence enough of its importance.
Simulation-based learning offers several advantages for corporate training, including:
Simulation-based learning allows learners to explore every aspect of their field in an immersive, engaging manner that lets them learn at their own pace. With simulation-based learning, difficult concepts become easy and intuitive to understand, as learners can literally see for themselves how things work or, for more conversational scenarios, how different responses create friction or resolution.
Plus, these types of simulations provide real-world examples relevant to different industries, roles, and skill sets. Simulations can be a key component of upskilling – giving employees a hands-on experience with new tasks or assisting with reskilling by allowing the trainee to perfect their skills virtually before returning to their duties.
All of this makes simulation-based learning a highly effective platform – it enhances experiences through interactive scenarios while increasing retention rates even further.
Simulation-based learning has several challenges that might make it not a good choice for corporate training, including:
Fortunately, there are eLearning development companies that can become your trusted partner-in-training who have the technical expertise to build training simulations specifically designed for your business needs. When hiring an agency to create simulation-based training for their company, purchasers should look for the following high-level requirements:
While outsourcing your training simulation build might increase your training P&L expense line, the positive impact that simulation-based training will have on your workforce will prove that the cost was worth it.
There is considerable research that suggests simulation-based training can be highly effective in improving learner retention and worker performance. There are many studies (often private) generated by associations, academia, and government that indicate the value of simulation-based training.
It is important to note that the effectiveness of simulation-based online training may depend on several factors, such as the quality of the simulation, the relevance of the training to the learner's job, and the learner's motivation to learn.
These statistics suggest that simulation-based online training can be a highly effective tool for improving learner retention and worker performance. However, it is important to note that the effectiveness of simulation-based training may depend on several factors, such as the quality of the simulation, the relevance of the training to the learner's job, and the learner's motivation to learn.
Virtual reality (VR) is a revolutionary technology that's beginning to take the world of simulation-based learning by storm. VR creates an immersive, 3D environment that acts as a digital simulation of the real world, allowing learners to engage with the content in their own unique way and get hands-on experience before attempting the task in the physical world Augmented reality (AR) blends real-world and simulations together in the online experience – think of Pokemon Go as the most commonly known version of augmented reality.
These types of virtual or augmented training engagement help create powerful learning opportunities for individuals who work in high-risk sectors such as healthcare, aerospace, defense, and energy. For example, a doctor can practice addressing a complicated medical situation in a safe, simulated environment without putting any patients at risk. Additionally, an engineer studying the latest construction techniques can take a virtual tour of an offshore drilling platform before ever boarding one. By utilizing virtual and augmented reality simulations, eLearning provides learners with unprecedented opportunities for success in their fields.
The future of online training is increasingly interactive, and simulation-based learning is an effective educational tool for increasing engagement and effectiveness for all industries. It creates a safe and immersive learning environment, and the addition of virtual reality allows for greater opportunities to learn and engage with simulated environments.
The advantages of this type of program, as opposed to traditional video-based classes, include improved knowledge retention, consistency in scenarios to create more broad standardization of responses, and more focused guidance on specific techniques needed to complete tasks within an industry. KPIs are increasingly suggesting that there are long-term cost savings associated with creating a rich and robust digital learning ecosystem with a wider range of training methodologies.
Simulation-based learning is worth serious consideration going forward for any organization as it can be used to drastically improve the efficiency of employee education and increase engagement between learners and materials. We’ve come a long way from “Operation” – doctors can practice a procedure a hundred times before they pick up an actual scalpel. No one wants to see the patient’s nose flashing red!
If you are considering adding learning simulations to your eLearning ecosystem, we’d love to talk to you. Or you can find more articles in the Learning Hub about creating custom eLearning or other forms of online and digital training that may help you reach your training objectives.
Games
Simple games layered on top of content
Scenario-based games that use the content
Leaderboards, competition
Fan excessive competition among employees or teams by offering large prizes for top performers and/or shaming those with lower scores
Challenge employees to beat their own past performance, or design a leaderboard that shows each employee only the four scorers above and below them
Points, rewards, badges
Award points or levels for completing sections of training or playing for a set number of minutes
Award levels, badges or points for recalling or applying content correctly, demonstrating mastery
As Neovation's Manitoba Territory Manager, I'm continually reminded of the resiliency, innovation, and initiative of Manitoba’s business community. Seeing these budding entrepreneurs develop and present their business plans reinforces that Manitoba is a great place to do business.
– Gord Holmes
Digital Accessibility
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Introduction to Online Training
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Building Your eLearning Team
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Subscribe to our mailing list for all of the latest eLearning articles and Neovation news, delivered right to your inbox.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Evaluation Tip
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.